Alaska

I just wanted to show (a picture says a thousand words) and at some point I will tell.















Just wanted to show and at some point I will tell.

Eat Pray Xterra

As I am writing this race report I am looking back and seeing a huge void in my blogging life. I did not do it on purpose but it makes me feel bad that I have not captured what I would say has been one of the greatest summers. I am most excited about the future and what we are working towards and will work hard to capture the story and spend time sharing it. Every year Anne captures my Blog and puts it into print and I will admit looking back on my journal is a huge joy in my life. As it is said “ I will be back”.

On to Lory my FIRST Xterra triathlon

Way back in the early part of the year when a group of us started talking about Mt biking and trying an Xterra I did not realized how much joy I would get from the different style of biking. I have been working on my road biking skills for several years now and the first time I tried to go off road I was humbled quickly and realized I have entered a whole new environment of riding. This environment requires a different set of skills, effort and focus. Relaxing and getting into the best arrow position does not even exist on an Xterra course. The second you relax you will find yourself off your bike and off the trail. Focus, Plan and Execute are the reoccurring events on the bike to stay upright and it is game on.
Not only was it light when we pulled up to the race site but the vibe was much different than any other triathlon that I have attended. We were parking on a dirt road, athletes were cruising to transition in flip flops and no helmet and everyone was talking and chatty. For sure this was going to be a different style of race. Body marking was normal, transition was an open to place where you wanted and so Beth and I racked next to one another and an old friend Tim Stegner was on the opposite side. This was the first Xterra for us all.

Swim

The swim was down 4 red buoys and back and so when gun went off for my wave I took the left line and swam right into the sun. I had no contact until the 3rd buoy and it was just a bit of rubbing. My plan was to take the swim out fast and keep a hard effort the whole race. Around the 4th buoy and we were headed back on a short ½ mile swim. I was alone at this point which is normal. The really fast swimmers are gone up front and so I am in the middle of that group and the second big group that trails behind. I did not stand up until my hand hit the muddy bottom and I was just a few feet from the shoreline. The run up to T1 was only a few hundred feet but I was able to pull off my cap, goggles and top half of my wet suite. I was running up T1 and felt my HR in the high zone. Into transition I needed to take off the bottom of my wetsuit, put on socks, shoes, gloves, glasses and helmet before I was able to grab my bike. I usually am able to drop my suite and grab my helmet and take off but this was a whole different animal and so I decided to take my time, SIT DOWN and change to my riding attire. I had to laugh when I sat down cause this was not a typical action that I was use to.


Bike

We took a hard left out of Transition and were right onto single track going slightly up hill. I was able to catch and execute my first pass a short distance later. We popped out onto a road and had small downhill section that allowed for easy passing and a lot of that was going on. I had guys that were flying by me like I was standing still. I made the right turn and up we started to go. We hit single track again for a 2 mile climb that would take us up some pretty challenging terrain. I set a pace that worked for me and the whole time I was passing or getting passed. I was able to stay on my bike as others were stopping to climb up more technical efforts and I felt good about my pace. Having a racer behind me asking to pass and working a section of single track for two riders to be on was kind of fun. I was riding in weeds on the side of the mountain working switchbacks while another would take the other side and try to pass in as fast as they could effort. The second girl that wanted to pass hit a rock weird just as she finished passing me so I was able to go ahead of her again and giggle a bit. Unfortunately she repassed me a just a bit up the climb again and took off. I guess being about 105 pounds and fearless makes climbing a bit easier that my hot looking 184 lb frame. Or maybe it was the fact that she was on a killer bike and I was rocking the Mongoose! I am going to chalk it up to the bike difference and nothing else.
The top came pretty quick and now it was time to descend on very similar terrain. I was feeling good and ready to rock the downhill. Rather than yelling pass I chose to yell REPASS to all those that passed me on the climb and were taking the downhill slower than I wanted. I was able to repass about 7 racers and felt really good about it 7 times. We were flying down the mountain and I was seeing carnage all over the course with flats and broken bikes. I begged the Mongoose to hang in there and help me make it to the end of the bike. After we hit the flats we had several miles of rollers up and down. I was pushing a really good clip and felt good the rest of the bike.

Run

Into T2 I was able to rack quickly, change shoes, grab my race belt and water bottle and take off. I was able to cut my T2 time in half from my T1 time, I guess not sitting down helps with the speed. Out of T2 we were directed to run the same single track all the way up the mountain that we just finished riding our bikes up. It was hot by this point and I had lost a huge amount of fluids on the bike and was only able to take 30oz of water while riding. On the slight uphill climb to where the real climb started I told myself I was going to set a pace that I was able to run the whole time and not walk one part of the run course. I grabbed 2 waters at the aid station that marked the start of the climb and off I went. I had a few runners pass again and they were able to do this much easier than on bikes. I kept my focus and effort consistent and just kept one foot in front of the other. I watch a runner ahead of me role his ankle and had to stop. That made me realizes that I really had to watch my footing. The Mile 1 marker came really fast for me and so I had one more to go to get to the top. I kept a good focus on foot placement and after one million switchbacks I was able to see the Mile 2 marker. I was thrilled that I did not stop and was still feeling good. The next .8 miles were around the rim and overlooking the entire Reservoir that we swam in. The view was great but short lived since the downhill was quickly approaching. I had saved enough energy to really push the downhill again and repassed several runners that passed me on the uphill. It was really fun and as such ended way to fast. I grabbed what I could at the bottom of the climb aid station and kept going. I was alone for the rest of the single track. When I popped out of the single track and headed for the final ¼ mile the spectators were cheering loud. I heard one yell to a guy that was trying to get past me to push it so I started a finishing kick that I did not think that I had. I was really moving the final turn to the finishers shoot and as I passed the finish line there was a huge slip-n-slide that I did a superman dive down to my back and slid all the way to the end where a pool of cold water was waiting. I struggled to get up and out of the water but was able to hold my place and not get passed.
I finished and felt great that I was able to execute so well on my first Xterra. I did not care about time or place and to this point still don’t. I had a great time and could not have given anymore anywhere on that course. I gave it my all and felt the joy of a great race. I watched as Beth, Jewles, Ryan and Melissa and Sandy finish. Keith broke his chain and finished early.
I loved the Lory Xterra and feel that I am made to race this style of racing. I love the low key vibe that Mt bikers seem to have and felt great at this race. I was proud of the group that I was with and look forward to Nationals a few short weeks away.

Love you Anne,

T

Lake Powell over the 4th

This is a picture overlooking Bullfrog bay


Hiking up a slot canyon. Jackson, Josh and Pappa

I always get excited when we get the opportunity to go down to Lake Powell. I have spent over a year of my life on this lake and now I get to share it with my kids. The red rocks, blue sky, warm water and hot days make this place a paradise for me. I have pictures of my as a baby at this lake, my first kiss was at this lake, and I fell in love with my best friend turned wife at this lake so with 35 years of adventures you can see why I am get excited about LP.
This trip was going to be just my family and my parents. We left Denver after a very busy week of work and made the 7 hour drive from Denver. I am always impressed with how my kids travel, they do so well and it is not such a struggle to make a long drive. It was the 4th of July weekend so I was able to have one extra day on the lake and not have to take time away from work.
Mom and Dad were still awake when we arrived and they helped us put the food away and the kids to bed. When we stay in the slips we get water and power and do not have to use any engines or generators. The trade off is that we are not able to park the boat on the beach and sleep on top of the houseboat or have a beach to play on.
The next day and the 2 days after that we spent our time swimming, playing on the boat and playing games. This trip was very special for me because Jackson was able to get up water skiing for his first time. He tried last year and was not able to get up and so when we wanted to try again this year I was really hoping that he would get up. I help him with getting ready and my dad drove the boat and as Jackson yelled “hit it” seconds later he was up like he had done it 100 times before. He fell shortly after and after 3 more attempts he was able to stay up and have a good long ride. The rest of the trip he spent talking about water skiing and what tricks he could learn. I remember when I first learned and how big of a deal it was to me and now to see those same feelings was a pretty big deal for me. Josh tried and was not able so maybe next trip he would get up. One thing that Josh is getting good at is the knee board. He was able to even stand up and ride the board like a surf board by himself. We have two knee boards so Jackson and Josh would ride together and would do tricks and try to splash each other. It was fun to see them enjoying themselves so much. This trip was also the first time that Lexi wanted to ride the kneeboard by herself. I rode double with her and after a few minutes of getting use to it she was up on her knees going side to side and having a great time. She would jump from her board to mine and she even rode on my shoulders.

Jackson, Lexi and Josh having fun on the tubes

Lexi up on the Kneeboard for the first time

Jackson, Josh and Lexi also had a blast on the tubes and the yellow banana. We would tow the tube and the banana together and they would jump from one to the other as the boat was making turns and going over bumps. They had a blast and the days seemed to last only hours. We went touring and went hiking in slot canyons. We soaked in as much of LP as we possibly could in such a short trip and as the last day arrived I was very sad to leave. I was wondering if my best friend turned wife would love the lake as much as I did and over time she did and to now see my kids love it as much as they do brings great joy to me. LP has special powers and for some reason time stands still. The feelings I had as a little sunburned boy have never gone away. I am so very thankful to my parents for give us this place. This magical wonderland that never gets old or boring. I realized this trip that I need to figure out how to keep going to this place with my family. At the end of the month we have our 2nd annual 48 hours of LP fun. My entire family gets together and for 2 straight days we do nothing but play. We let the kids play as long as they want and they get to play with family.

Lexi with Dad on the Kneeboard

Love you Anne,

T

The American Vacation

The adventure started the second we pulled into long term parking at the airport. The kids we excited, helpful and kind. Lexi looked up at me and said “so we do bus first, then train and then airplane and I get to sit by the window”. “Yep” is all I could come up with since I was trying to get 5 big bags of luggage to the bus so we could start our first Disney World experience.
The West’s, Spittle’s and Walton’s (Ohio group missing 2 families) planned a party in Florida for 8 days. We were going to hit Disney World for the week and also add in a few days on the Florida beaches. The kids were excited since we told them that we rented a home for everyone that had a pool and for the next week their bedtimes were going to be super late.
Magic Kingdom- We spent the first day at Disney Magic Kingdom with the Spittle’s while the West’s were still traveling in and as we arrived that morning the heat index was over 105 and would stay that way all week. The blanket of heat hit me so hard that I could almost eat it. I started to soak my clothes and for the next 9 days this process never changed. The first ride we did as a family was in Frontier land on the Pirates ride. The park was clean and fun and we had only planned on spending a half a day. We hit several other popular rides, had a good time and headed to our rental to get settled and cooled down in the pool.
Beach- The whole group made the first official day a beach day and we headed to St Petersburg for a great day in the ocean. All three kids had a funny face the first time they tasted the salt water. The sand was white, the sky was blue and we for the next 6 hours had a blast building in the sand, and playing in the water.


Magic Kingdom,Epcot,Universal and Animal Kingdom - Each of these parks rocked, We did every popular ride that Disney had to offer. We saw all the shows that we were told would be fun and by the end of each day we had very tired kids. In Epcot we watched the fireworks show, in Magic Kingdom we watched the light parade and Lexi even was able to take all the girls for a birthday dinner with all the Princesses within a 2 mile radius. The favorite ride for us was the Rock and Roll in Universal. Anne and I are not park people, in fact we never have been together on a ride in our 12 years of marriage. Thanks to Dawn she did her first without me. Then at the end of the trip we rode together and it was a blast.
Daytona Beach- We did this beach two times as well having so much fun on the boogie boards and the waves the first time we went back again. We had dinner at Bubba Gump’s and the older kids went to see the new Karate Kid. After getting lost just a bit we made it home just before midnight.
The Ohio group worked to squeeze every ounce of fun that we possible could out of this trip. It is a magical place where kids get along, friendships were renewed and future plans for the next one were started. I loved this trip and was pleased that we went with friends. Trips with friends are for sure the best way to go and I forever will try to rock our family trips this way. I have added the best pictures from this trip. Lexi falling asleep on me after the light show is one of my favorites. She struggled to stay awake for the show and then had no chance after, she was just too tired. Thanks to Jessica for planning the trip. Thanks to everyone for putting up with me and for making us realize how awesome friends really are. Love you all

M-I-C-K-E-Y-M-O-U-S-E

Ah the iconic American trip (vacation is when you are without kids) has finally made it to the Walton home. In anticipation of making the trip the best we could we purchased the "how to" Disney books, we watched the DVD's and as the departure day is finally here we feel good. Jackson and Josh do not need the "make me taller" shoes since they are the required height for all the rides. This was a real concern in our house. Lexi has packed more dresses than shorts and shirts and well Anne and I are just along for the ride. OK, that last statement is not true, I am totally excited to be a kid for the next week. The Waltons are indeed ready to rock Florida.
Jessica Spittle has slaved away for many, many hours as our trip planner and we are on the beach as much as we are in the parks, which is a good call. We are staying in a rented house between all that we want to do. We have the Wests joining us as well and the three families are going to have a ball.
Coach Beth that has written workouts that I will be able to get done and invite others to join in and will allow for them to get done on the beach or at the house or hotel. That is awesome and I am glad that I have her helping me this season.
It has been several years since we took the time to have a family trip to some place other than Lake Powell or Salt Lake City. Our kids have grown and I think that they are at the perfect age to really enjoy this adventure. Work can do without me for a few days and I will be glad to put my Blackberry away for a few days.
Disney here we come!

Bolder Boulder 2010 a spectators view

Anne and Nicole decided to run the Bolder Boulder which is the nations best 10K and draws between 50-55K participants a year. I am the one that usually races so I spent some time helping plan the event so it would be fun for all.
We decided to us the RTD as the transportation choice up to the race and I would come later with the kids. I took them to the station and they were able to get on the 5:10am bus. I received a call from Anne an hour later telling me that they had checked in and they were in the 8:10 wave start.
The kids were dressed and we were in the car by 6:30am and had smooth sailing until the last 3 miles on Hwy36. With the crowds expected to be over 100,000 strong I was concerned with parking and getting my 3 kids around in time to see Anne and Nicole on the course. To my surprise I was able to find a parking spot close to mile marker 1 and mile 5. We were able to get a great spot just after the mile 1 banner and started to cheer. The kids know how to cheer and they had the cowbells rocking and were giving high 5's to the runners as they came by.



They were having so much fun that 3 different film crews came and took video of the kids. Lexi was interviewed and decided to be shy for the first time in her life!!!


A few minutes later Anne and Nicole came running by and almost missed us. We cheered as they passed by and then made our way to mile number 5. We took our time and had fun watching the never ending wave of people doing this event. Some were running, walking, wearing crazy costumes and all seemed to be having a great time.

Mile 5 was again very easy to get to and find a perfect cheering spot. The enthusiasm at mile 5 versus mile 1 was way different and so we tried to cheer even louder. Jackson and Josh had a photo make it on the Daily Camera and I was able to capture a great shot of the kids giving high 5's.
Anne and Nicole looked awesome as they came by and I was able to capture a pretty good shot myself.


After they passed we made our way up to the stadium and found the girls just a few minutes later. We walked through the expo and had some good eats and snacks.
Making our way back the the car all seemed to be in great spirits. Jackson and Josh were taking the scout motto of doing a good turn daily serious and picked up trash on the way back to the car. We all had a great time and will try to make this a family event next year. I am pleased with how well this event was done and if asked would recommend the Bolder Boulder 10k to anyone that inquires. It will not be your PR race but you will not find a more fun run race either.

Great job girls,